I haven't been watching lately because of the "offseason", inwhich the Kid's program and old college jeopardy are on. I tuned in today by chance and was surprised that David Madden, a young American living in Berlin is still the champ.

His streak was extended to 17 shows today and he has a total over 391k. His personality is that of, well a young Ken Jennings.

The difference, to me, is that I liked Ken Jennings. This guy might be the nicest guy in the world, but there's something about him that annoys the heck out of me. I didn't root for Ken to lose. I'm actively rooting for this guy to lose.

Originally posted by Roy.The difference, to me, is that I liked Ken Jennings. This guy might be the nicest guy in the world, but there's something about him that annoys the heck out of me. I didn't root for Ken to lose. I'm actively rooting for this guy to lose.

Maybe I should get a life...

I rooted for Ken Jennings, too. I think it was because he had that smarmy arrogance hidden just beneath the surface. Or at least that's what I thought.

I'm not particularly fond of David. I have said this in other places, but David can be taken off the buzzer. He's very smart, don't get me wrong, but his buzzer speed leaves a lot to be desired. (In this new season, he's not doing so hot on the buzzer end.) The way he wins is he goes to the bottom of the board and hunts for the Daily Doubles to either a) neutralize them, if he's ahead by a lot, or b) (which he's really only started doing recently) betting big if he needs to. Then he goes through the bottom two rows of the board to build up a lead, and then goes to the top and plays like a chicken. When he needs to, he can call the categories and answer very quickly. If he needs to kill time, he'll stall (he's admitted this on the official message boards) and hope they won't get to some of the clues.

I just don't like his style of play. I was a top-to-bottom guy. Anybody that's good on the buzzer and has a decent body of knowledge could take him down.

With all due respect, would anyone gripe if Thom McKee had a strategy on Tic-Tac-Dough to get X's in three corners of the board with the possiblility of making an opponent hope that he screws up in order to block?

Originally posted by ShotGunShepDissrespectful to go for the big money clues first? Why? I'm not trying to be an ass, but it's not against the rules. If Teapot is correct then he should be beaten soon, but he hasn't.

Is taking a knee in a football game dissrespectful? No you say? Well, why not. Isn't that stalling. What's the difference?

Taking a knee is done when (barring a turnover), you have guaranteed yourself a victory. So you play safe, because there's a chance of a fumble with every tackle that you allow your team to take.

I'd compare this more to basketball without a shot clock (like is played at the high school levels). It may not be against the rules to pass the ball around for 10 minutes without attempting a shot, but in my opinion (I was never an athlete; others may disagree with me) it is disrespectful. In a way you are showing weakness, basically admitting that you can't (or have a lesser chance, at least) win by playing the same game everyone else plays, so you have to resort to gimmicks.

Sure, he gets the win and the money, but he gets no respect from me. (Let me cut off the obvious reply by saying it myself: "As if he somehow cared about whether I give him respect...")

And Teppan-Yaki, I don't understand your comparison at all.

(edited by Mr. Boffo on 16.9.05 1953)In the real world, WWE believes that no matter what our race, religious creed or ethnic background in America, we all share the common bond of being Americans. American-Arabs are a part of the fabric of America, and they should be embraced by all of us.

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I admit I haven't really watched Jeopardy in quite some time, but how is clearing out the bottom of the board bad form? I don't see how it gives him an advantage, since the other contestants can buzz in and answer just as easily. If this really is annoying to the other contestants, they can easily stop him from doing this by answering some questions right and controlling the board. If someone is going to get an $800 question right, they are going to do it regardless of whether its the first question picked or the last one.

Besides, I always thought it made more sense to go for the bottom questions early if only because in the event of time running out for the round, that puts more money on the board. Even so, there's still no guarantee that money winds up on your scoreboard.

"Now that you've built up the courage to get into the gym, let me give you five reasons why you should put in the time to train with consistency: 1. Increased strength 2. Improved self-confidence 3. Injury prevention 4. Self-discipline 5. Sex (Trust me, you'll have a better shot with the ladies if you're in shape.)" -- Making the Game, pp. 14 - 15

Originally posted by EddieBurkettI admit I haven't really watched Jeopardy in quite some time, but how is clearing out the bottom of the board bad form? I don't see how it gives him an advantage, since the other contestants can buzz in and answer just as easily. If this really is annoying to the other contestants, they can easily stop him from doing this by answering some questions right and controlling the board. If someone is going to get an $800 question right, they are going to do it regardless of whether its the first question picked or the last one.

Besides, I always thought it made more sense to go for the bottom questions early if only because in the event of time running out for the round, that puts more money on the board. Even so, there's still no guarantee that money winds up on your scoreboard.

I think the point is that the Daily Doubles tend to be in the $600 - $1000 range. So getting them taken care of early eliminates the chance for someone to make a big jump later in the game. If you only have $1000, the most you can win is $1000. Contrast this with having, say, $8500 instead.

In the real world, WWE believes that no matter what our race, religious creed or ethnic background in America, we all share the common bond of being Americans. American-Arabs are a part of the fabric of America, and they should be embraced by all of us.

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Originally posted by Mr. BoffoI think the point is that the Daily Doubles tend to be in the $600 - $1000 range. So getting them taken care of early eliminates the chance for someone to make a big jump later in the game. If you only have $1000, the most you can win is $1000. Contrast this with having, say, $8500 instead.

Well, if the Jeopardy producers see what this guy is doing, what's to stop them from throwing him off and putting them in the $200 - $400 range? Or, although its bad form, do they regard his 'strategy' as legitimate?

(edited by EddieBurkett on 17.9.05 1243)"Now that you've built up the courage to get into the gym, let me give you five reasons why you should put in the time to train with consistency: 1. Increased strength 2. Improved self-confidence 3. Injury prevention 4. Self-discipline 5. Sex (Trust me, you'll have a better shot with the ladies if you're in shape.)" -- Making the Game, pp. 14 - 15

I just find him rather annoying now. I don't dislike him for winning, but his method of play just leaves a lot to be desired.

I think it's just that many of us are traditionalists who grew up watching Jeopardy and saw people do the top-to-bottom style. It's hard to take when someone goes against the grain and wins. Hell, I still hate it that they went to the 'King of the Hill' format. Just when I thought winning 5 times was a great accomplishment (and it still is), they had to change the rules.

His style makes the game boring because it becomes less competitive. It's enjoyable when you see a close, back and forth game and it all comes down to Final Jeopardy and bidding. The way that he plays ruins that a bit.

Perfect example was last night... You could see that after he got the second Daily Double, the other two constestants just sat back and stopped caring a bit. There was no pressure, no angst, no intrigue... just nothing.

Playing that way has its drawbacks and even Alex Trebek mentioned it a few times. It's a little annoying and boring.

Once upon a time, a woman was picking up firewood. She came upon a poisonous snake frozen in the snow. She took the snake home and nursed it back to health. One day the snake bit her on the cheek. As she lay dying, she asked the snake, "Why have you done this to me?" And the snake answered, "Look, bitch, you knew I was a snake."